Photographic printing apparatus



July 13, 1943. F. E. TUTTLE EIAL 'PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28

44 F/aZ 58 425 23 I6 2/ Fomvcf 5 727m:

JOSEPH {570/552 I N V E N TORS ATTORNEY Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-1C Ei 2,322,121 PHOTOGRAPHIC PItiNTING APPARATUS Fordyce E. Tuttle and .ioseph StoibemRoclrester;

N. Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company; Rochester, N. Y.,.-acorporation of New Jersey Application November 23, 1940', Serial Nb. 367,598

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to photographic printing apparatus, and particularly to a contact .printer having more even light distribution over the printing window than customary, and toa new and improved paper masking means'for use therewith.

One object of the present" invention is to provide a paper masking means for a photographic" of the type set faith which includes two maslring strips which are manually individually adjustable relative to a paper stop, the adjusting member of each masking strip includingv a margin scale adapted to cooperate with an index onthe paper support in definite relation to said.

paper stop, and by means of which margin scale and indices the masks can be readily set to provide any desired margin on two edges of the sensitive paper positioned by said stop.

And another object is to provide a masking means of the type set forth in which each of the adjusting members for the two mask strips above described includes a second scale movable therewith and over each of which a pointer connected with one of two other masking strips is adapted to be moved to adjust said last-mentioned masking strip relative to the first-mentioned masking strip to obtain any desired size of exposed area and a desired margin on the other two edges of the paper.

And a further object is to adapt a masking means of the type set forth to a contact printer so that the adjusting scales of the individual masking strips will be visible in the dark so that the same can be readily adjusted in a darkroom.

And another object of the present invention is to provide a masking means of the type set forth and in which the masks and scales connected thereto are mounted in grooves covered with a translucent material impervious to actinic light, one or more of said scales being transparent, or translucent, so that the same can be viewed by a light in the printer and below said grooves.

And another object is to provide a masking means of the type set forth in which each of two adjustable masks, in addition tov carrying the margin scale, also carries a scale indicating one dimension of the exposed area of the paper so that when a third mask is adjusted over said last-mentioned scale, the dimension of the exposed area indicated by the scaleis exclusive o'f' the'marginipreviously adjustedflfon; Y

Still another 'object'is to provide a contact printer in which the printing window is more uniformly illuminated over its entire area than ticularity' in the appended claims. The invention itself, "howeveiiboth as to its organization and'its'inetl'iods'of operation, together with addi tional objects and advanta es thereof, will best be understood from the followin'g'descriptio'n 01' specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which, I

Fig. 1 is a 't'op'pian view of a photographic contact printer, with the platen in a raised po- 'sit'ion, and incorporating a paper masking means constructed'i'ri.accordariceiwith a preferred embodiment of the presentinvenuon,

Fig. 2" is a sectional view taken substantially on li'Ii'esiZ-Z ofiFig. 1,i5ut's1iow'ing .the'platen in a lowered, or paper holdingpos'ition,

3 is a sectional view taken substantially on lines 3'3 of'Fig- 1,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on lines 4'--4' o'fFig. I,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on l ines, 55 of Fig. 1, and showing the manner of mounting the paper guidelon the top of the printer so as to be adjustable tofand from the same.

Like reference characters referto correspond ing: partsthroug-hout the drawing.

Referring now; to the drawing, our new andnovel paper. masking meansis shown incorporatedon the photographic contact printer comprising an ,enclosed. housing In within which is situated the usual'printinglamp .H and a small safelightlamp l2. The top wall I3 of the housing l0, which maybe referred to as a supporting surface for a; sensitive paper, includes. a clear window I4 on which anegative to be printed is adapted to be placed in superposed relation witha sensitive paper, the lightv from the printing lampitll passing through the window to make the exposure.

That portion of the top wall of the housing It! immediately surrounding the window is turned taken s'ubstan'tialli possible without it, with the result that, the con- 7.

tact print is'mor uniformly exposed overjitsentire area than heretofore possible. This desir-' able uniform exposure is due to the fact that the rays of light from the lamp II which would--- ordinarily pass into the upper corners of the-.-

housing at an angle past the window are reflected by said apron back through the edges of the window. Redirecting these slanting rays of 1 light, which would ordinarily be lost without the use of the apron 15, back through the edges of the window increases the illumination at the edges of the window and tends to overcome an uneven illumination of the window, the center of the window ordinarily receiving more light than the .edges due to the fact that the lamp is located ,directly below the centerthereof.

The superposed negative and sensitive print-- ing paper positioned abovethe window [4 is;

adapted to be held in a flat position by a platen I 6 connected to the top wall I3 by a hinge ll one portion I8 of which is fixed to. an inclinedwall IQ of ,a recess 20 inthe top wall, see Fig. 2. .The platen It may, as shown, comprise two sections 2| and 22 hinged together by a hinge 23 so that the forward section 22 maybe raised independently of the rearward section 23, as is well known. As is the usual practice, thelower face of the two. sections of the platen may be felt or other, suitable resilient material. A, handle 25 is connected to the forward platen section 22 for raising and lowering theplaten. This handle, as shown in Fig. 2, extends forwardly over the front wall .26 of the housing it and terminates in thumb piece21. The intermediate portion of thehandle 25 is bridged as shown'at 281: accommodate one member of the paper maskin means hereinafter set forth, see Fig. 2.

Attached to the under side of the handle 25 is a'latch 29 which, due to the resiliency inherent in the same, normally snaps into locking engagement with a latch element 30 on the front wall ofthe housing when the platen is lowered, and for the purpose of locking the platen in its-lowered position, see Fig. 2. Fixed to the latch 29 is a finger-piece 3| located directly below and spaced from the thumb-piece 21. By gripping thethumb-piece'Z'l andthe finger-piece 3| between the thumb and forefinger the latch 29 may be sprung away from, the latch element to permit the platen to be raised. As is common practice in contact printers, it is desirable to have the printing light automatically turned on the instant the platen is closed. To this end an arm 32 integral with the latch 29 is adapted to engage and close the normally open switch 33 adapted to be connected in circuit with the printing lamp, as is well known, when the platen is'in its lowered position, saidswitch being located in a recess 34 formed in the upper corner of the front wall 26. The ruby safelight l2 will, as customary, be on at all times when the printer is in use and may be controlled by a separate able to be able to obtain different margins on the prints, and it is also imperative that the exposed area of the window be Variable to accommodate different sizes of negatives as well as different sizes of printing paper. To this end the new and novel masking means hereinafter set forth has been invented by us.

A paper guide 35 is fixed to the top wall 33 by an adjusting screw 36 passing therethrough and being threaded into the top wall of the housing. Between the paper guide and the top wall two bowed screens 31 are situated in recesses in the ;-top wall, see'Fig. 5, said springs normally tending to force' the paper guide upwardly from the The upward movement screens is limited by two posts 24 passing freely 1 through the guideand being screwed into the switch, not shown, which may be on the printer proper, or which may be in the electrical cord connecting the printer to a source of electrical energy. 1

In making prints from a negative it is desirtop wall of the housing, the paper guide being slidable relative to the shanks of said posts and adapted to come ,to rest against the under side of the head thereof. 'The paper guide 35, includes two perpendicular intersecting paper guiding edges 38 and 39 into abutment with which the corner of a sensitive paper is adapted'to be placed for squaring the paper with respect to the. window i l, see Fig. 5. The .paper guide 35 is located on the top'wall [3 so that the respective paper guiding edges thereof will be parallel to two adjoining edges of the window It and will be'spaced a definite distance therefrom. In the present instance the paper guide is located so that the guiding edges thereof are one-quarter of an inch from the edges of the window whereby a paper located thereby will have a one-quarter. How

justment of one of the mask strips as will be set out below.

Thetop wall 53 of the housing If! is provided with two elongated slots 40, 40 in perpendicular relation, one of said slots extending parallel to one guiding edge 38 of the paper guide 35 and the other slot extending parallel to the other guiding edge 39 of the paper guide. Each slot 40 is surrounded by the downwardly extending flange 4| into grooves in which a sheet of translucentrnaterial E2, impervious to actinic light, extends. These sheets of translucent material may be the same asordinarily used for safelights, e. g., colored glass, colored plastics, etc. We have found that a red plastic material serves the purpose very well.

Slidably mounted in or above each of these slots 49 is a pair of sliders i3 and Mi and to each of which is connected a mask strip '35, which may consist of a flat piece of thin metal, and which extends across the window I l in parallel relation to the edges thereof. The two sliders in each slot are constructed and operated in the same manher so that only one pair will be described in detail; the corresponding ones of the other pair being referred to by the same reference charac ters primed .One slider 33 of each pair is attached by a screw 46 extending therethrough, to a margin scale t! slidably held in the slot 40 by a pair of flanges 48 thereon engaging flange 49 overhangingthe top of the slot, see Figs. 3 and 4. This margin scale extends from one side of the slider and includes a scale '50 on its upper face marked in one-quarter inches, or other suitable margin designations. Each margin scale is adapted to cooperate with an index on the top wall of the housing adjacent the slot and definitely loeated relative to one guiding edge of the paper guide 35. Each mask strip is firmly held at one end between the slider and upper surface of the margin scale 4! by the screw 46, and to insure said strip extending perpendicularly from the lot, and to prevent the same from rotating relative to the slider, the strip may be provided with two spaced holes 52 adapted to slip over a pair of pins 53 on the marginscale 41. A washer 65 may be placed between the under side of each slider and the mask strip connected thereto to give plenty of clearance between the under side of the slider and the top wall of the housing so that the slider will be free to move along in the slot 40. The index 5| is so positioned on the top Wall that when the slider 43 is moved to position the one-quarter inch mark on the margin scale 41: opposite the index the inner edge of the mask 45 connected to said slider is flush with one edge of the window. With such a setting the edge of the paper located above and adjacent this mask by. the paper guide is provided with a onequarter inch-margin due to the fact that the paper guide is located with its guiding edges onequarter inch from the edges of the window. If the slider is moved until the one-half inch mark onthe margin scale 41 connected thereto is opposite its respective index, as shown in the drawing for slider 43 and its associated parts, then the inner edge of the mask strip connected thereto .will be one-quarter of an inch inside of the edge 01 the window covered thereby, and which onequarter of an inch added to the onequarter of an. inch provided by the location of the paper guide will. givea one-half inch margin on the paper as indicated by the scale reading. It will he readily appreciated that if desired the paper guide could belocated'with its paper guiding edges flush-with the edges of the window so that the mask strip would give the entire margin, the scaleand index setting necessarily having to b rearranged to fit such a change; but since a one-quarter inch margin is the least that is generally required on; a rint, the disclosed arrangement is entirely satisfactory, Inorder to restrict the movement of the sliders 43, 43' in the slots 40,40 against too free movement, a bowed spring 54 may be located in the recess 51 in the edge of the margin scale 41 connected thereto to engage the longitudinal wall of the slot as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

An elongated scale 55, '55 is slidably mounted in each slot 40, and is connected to the sliders .43; 43 by a pin 56, passing through one end thereof and one end of the margin scale 41, whereby said scales 55, are adapted to move with said sliders 43, 43. This scale extends from the slider -in adirection opposite that of the margin scale and is marked in inches, its purpose being to designate the dimensions of the area exposed by each pair of parallel masking trips. This scale is made of a translucent material, such as glass or plastic, and has scale markings of an opaque nature thereon whereby such markings are readily visible in the colored light passing through the strip 42 and the scale itself.

A pointer 58 is slidably mounted in the slot 40 above the scale 55 in the same manner as set forth for margin scale 41, and a mask strip 45 and slider 44 is connected thereto as set forth above in describing the connection of the mask strip 45 and slider 43 to the margin scale 41. When the slider 44 is moved relative to slider 43 the end 59 of the pointer moves over the scale 55 and its position on said scale indicates the dimension of the area exposed defined by the inside edge of the mask strip to which it is connected and the mask strip parallel thereto and sliding in the same slot 40. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noticed that the end 59 of the pointer 58 on the shder 44 is located at 5 /2 inches on the scale 55, while the end 59 on the pointer 58 is located at 3% inches on the scale 55', thus showing that the mask strips are set to give an exposed area 5 /2 inches by 3% inches. The scales '55 and 55' normally appear as red due to the light transmitted therethrough, and when the pointers, which are preferably opaque, are moved thereover, the positions of the ends thereof are readily discernible in a darkroom.

With the mask strips set as shown in Fig. 1 the scales clearly indicate that the print will have a /2-inch margin on one side, a -inch margin on the adjoining side, a picture area 3% of an inch long on the side having the -inch border and 5 inches long on the side having the -inch margin. If the printing paper has overall dimensions of 6 inches by 4% inches the opposite margins will be equal. Ordinarily the margins are equal on all sides of a print so that the two margin scales will be set alike. However, to clearly illustrate the adjustable features of our mask we have shown the two margin scales set differently. It will be readily appreciated that if the overall size of the printing paper being used is known then by setting the sliders 43, 43 to a given margin on two adjoining edges of the paper then the sliders 44, 44' can be adjusted to give an exposed area having equal margins on the other two edges. Or, if a given exposure area is required then the sliders 43, 43' can be adjusted to give a margin on two adjoining edges of the paper one-half of the difference between the size of the paper and said picture area so that any two opposite margins will be equal to each other.

It will be noticed that one of the mask strips 45' extends beneath the paper guide 35 by reason of the particular arrangement of parts. This makes it necessary that the paper guide adjusting screw 35 be loosened sufiiciently to permit the mask strip to be adjusted beneath the paper guide after which the screw can be tightened down to clamp the mask strip and the negative at the same time.

So that small picture negatives, e. g., 35-mm., etc., can be printed in strip form with this printer the paper guide 35 is provided with one of the posts 24 spaced from the adjusting screw 36 a distance substantially equal to the width of such film, and each of the two screws are provided with a circumferential groove indicated at 6! for readily receiving and guiding the edges of the film strip of the character mentioned, and indicated in dotted lines on Fig. 1 and designated by F. The sliders 43 and 44 are provided with grooves 62 into which the edges of the miniature film F may extend when the two sliders are moved into guiding relation with One another and the adjusting screw 36 and one of the posts 24sec, see Fig. 1. When the sliders 43 and 44 are moved to this position the two mask strips 45 carried thereby are spaced apart correctly for the width of such negatives, and the slider 34 is moved toward the slider 43 to move the mask strips 45, 45 connected thereto apart a distance equal to the length of said miniature negatives. When contact prints are being made from these smaller negatives only the front section 22 of the platen need be raised to permit insertion and removal of the sensitive printing paper. The corner of the paper guide 35 adapted to be crossed by the strip of miniature negative is bevelled, as shown at 63 in Figs. 1 and to permit the platen to flatten the negative on the window without tending to score the negative over a sharp corner and abnormally deform the felt, or rubber, on the platen face.

The use and operation of the novel masking means set forth will now be described. The platen I6 will first be raised and the ruby safelight I2 will be turned on. Then supposing a 3 x 5 inch picture is to be printed on a printing paper f4 inches by 6 inches. This will mean a /2-inch margin will be needed all around the paper. The adjusting screw 36 is loosened to permit the paper guide 35 to raise and free the mask strip 45 clamped thereby. The slider 33 is then moved until inch on the scale 50 of the margin scale 41 connected thereto is opposite the index 5! and then the negative is slipped under the paper guide and the adjusting screw 36 tightened down again. Next the slide 43 is moved until the -inch mark of the scale 59 on the margin scale 4'! is opposite the index 5i. The slider 4-3 is then moved until the end 59' of the pointer 58' connected thereto is in alignment with the 3-inch mark on the scale 55, and the slider id is moved until the end 59 of the pointer 58 connected thereto is in alignment with the 4-inch mark on the scale 55. These adjustments correctly set the mask strips 45, 5 to give the print size and margins specified, and all that remains to .be done is to place the paper on top the mask strips with one corner thereof in abutment with the guiding edges of the paper guide 35, being sure that the paper is turned so that the long side thereof corresponds to the longer dimension defined by the mask strips; and then closing the platen ll onto the paper. The margin scales 4?, 41, and the indices 55, and El could be made transparent if desired to facilitate seeing them in the dark, but we have found that there is enough light emanating from the slots 43, d6 around the same so that a white scale 50 and a white index are clearly discernible in total darkness.

, While we have shown and described our novel masking means in combination with a contact printer it is pointed out that the same could be readily used on the easel of a projection printer. The masking means would function in the same manner, the only difference being that the printing paper would then be located beneath the mask strips instead of on top of the same, and the one mask strip 45' would have to move above the paper guide 35 rather than under it.

From the above description it will be readily understood that a contact printerconstructed in accordance with our invention possesses several advantages over those of the prior art. It includes a versatile paper masking means by means of which the margins and picture areas of prints can be rapidly and accurately adjusted to any desired dimension. The masking means is suitable for both contact and projection printing apparatus. The masking means is such that it ger of fogging any sensitive paper lying exposed near-by. Further, the apron extending into the printer around the window provides a more even illumination over the entire window than heretofore possible with similar apparatus with the resultthat a contact print made thereon has a uniform exposure over the entire picture area rather than a strong exposure at the center and falling off at the edges as was found to be true of known contact printers of the prior art.

While we have shown and described certain specific embodiments of our invention, we are aware that many modifications thereof are pos-,

sible. Our invention, therefore, is not to be .restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a photoprinting machine the combination of a paper support, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support and including two perpendicular intersecting edges against which a corner of a light sensitive paper may be abutted to square the same on the support, a masking means for protecting the margins of said paper from a beam of light directed toward said paper, and including a marginal mask extending 1 parallel to one edge of the paper guide, a second,

marginal mask extending parallel to the other guiding edge of said paper guide, each of said masks slidably mounted on said paper support to move transversely of its length, two indices on said support, each one'being located in a definite relation to a different guiding edge of said paper guide, and a margin scale connected to. each of sad masks to move therewith and adapted to cooperate with one of said indices whereby said mask strips are adapted to be readily adjusted to cover a desired margin on two adjacent edges of a paper positioned by said paper guide.

2. In a photoprinting machine the 'combina: tion of a paper support, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support and including two perpendicular intersecting edges against which a corner of a light sensitive paper may be abutted to square the same on the support, an adjustable masking means for protecting the margins of said paper from a beam of light directed toward said paper and for determining the exposed area of said paper, and including four marginal masks in rectangular arrangement, the four masks being individually adjustable on the support withrespeet to one another and with respect to the paper guide, two of said intersecting masks extending parallel to the guiding edges of said paper guide, two indices on said support, each one being located in a definiterelation to a different guiding edge of said paper guide, a mar-v gin scale connected to each of two intersecting masks and adapted to cooperate with one of said indices to permit the masks carrying the same to be readily adjusted to cover a desired margin on two adjacent edges of a paper positioned by said guide, a second scale connected to each of the masks carrying said margin scales and movable therewith, a pointer carried by each of said other two masks and adapted to cooperate with one of said last mentioned scales when said last mentioned masks are individually adjusted relative to said first mentioned two masks, and for indicating the dimensions of the area bounded by said masks and exposed to light directed toward the paper.

3. In a photoprinting machine the combination with a support having a window through which light may pass, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support with respect to said window and including two perpendicular paper guiding edges, of a masking mean including two marginal mask strips in perpendicular relation and independently adjustabl relative to each edge of said paper guide, two indices on said support, each located in definite relation to one guiding edge of said paper guide, a margin scale connected to each of said mask strips to move therewith, each of said margin scales adapted to cooperate with one of said indices when the masks are individually adjusted to facilitate the setting of said masks to cover a desired margin on two adjacent edges of a paper positioned by said paper guide.

4. In a photoprinting machine the combination with a support having a window through which light may pass, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support with respect to said window and including two perpendicular paper guiding edges, of a masking means including four marginal mask strips in rectangular arrangement and individually adjustable with respect to one another and the paper guide, two indices on said support, each located in definite relation to one guiding edge of said paper guide, a margin scale connected to each of two adjoining masks to move therewith and adapted to cooperate with one of said indices when the masks carrying the same are individually adj sted to facilitate the setting of said masks to cover a desired margin on two adjacent edges of a paper positioned by said guide, a second scale connected to each of the masks carrying said margin scale and adapted to move therewith, a pointer carried by each of said other two masks and adapted when the masks are individually adjusted to move over the second mentioned scale carried by the mask parallel thereto to indicate the dimensions of the area bounded by said four masks.

5. In a photoprinting machine the combination with a support having a window through which light may pass, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support with respect to said window and including two perpendicular paper guiding edges, of a masking means for a paper positioned by said paper guide and including a pair of grooves in said support adjacent said window, one groove extending parallel to one guiding edge of the paper guide and the other extending parallel to the other guiding edge of the paper guide, a pair of sliders individually slidable in each of said grooves, a mask strip connected to each of said sliders and extending perpendicularly of the groove across said window, two indices on said support adjacent each of said grooves and each definitely located relative to one guiding edge of said paper guide, a margin scale connected to one slider in each groove to move therewith in said groove and adapted to cooperate with one of said indices to facilitate the setting of the masks carried by said sliders to cover a desired margin on two adjacent edges of a paper positioned by said guide, a scale connected to the same sliders to move in said groove therewith when they are adjusted, and a pointer on each of said other two sliders in overlapping relation with said second mentioned scales to indicate the dimensions of the area bounded by the four masks.

6. In a photoprinting machine the combination with a support having a window through which light may pass, a paper guide occupying a definite position on said support with respect to said window and including two perpendicular paper guiding edges, of a masking means for a paper positioned by said paper guide and includin a pair of slots in said support adjacent said window, one slot extending parallel to one guiding edge of the paper guide and the other extending parallel to the other guiding edge of the paper guide, a strip of translucent material impervious to actinic light attached to the underside of said support in covering relation with each of said slots, a pair of sliders individually slidable in each slot above said translucent ma terial, a mask strip connected to each of said sliders and extending perpendicularly of the slots across said window, two indices on said support adjacent each of said slots and each definitely located relative to one of the two guiding edges of said paper guide, a margin scale in each slot and connected to one slider in said groove to move therewith, each of said margin scales adapted to cooperate with one of said indices to facilitate the setting of the masks carried by said sliders to cover a desired margin on two adjoining edges of a paper positioned by said guide, a transparent scale in each of said slots and connected to the slider carrying said margin scale to move therewith as the same is adjusted, and a pointer connected to the other slider in each groove to move therewith as the same is moved to adjust the mask connected thereto, said pointer overlapping said transparent scale to indicate the dimensions of the area bounded by the four masks.

FORDYCE E. TUTTLE. JOSEPH STOIBER. 

